Smart city SPV by this month-end, says Mayor

A special purpose vehicle (SPV, which is a company) for implementing the proposals under smart cities mission for Mangaluru will be formed by this month-end, according to outgoing Mayor Harinath.

Addressing presspersons here on Monday, Mr. Harinath, who would step down on Thursday on the completion of his one-year tenure, said that the process of registering the company under the Companies Act was in progress.

The government has invited bids to select a project management consultant for preparing a detailed project report on the works to be taken up in the city and conduct related surveys under the mission, he said and added that the selection would be completed by this month-end. The government selected Mangaluru under the mission on October 3, 2016.

The Mayor said that the corporation would credit the salary of 631 civic workers outsourced to their bank accounts from next month. This is as per the direction of the State government. The workers have been outsourced through Antony Waste Handling Cell Pvt. Ltd., which has been given the task of solid waste management of the city. Mangaluru City Corporation, the bank and the company would sign a tripartite agreement.

The government has taken a decision at the State level applicable to all urban local bodies on direct salary payment to civic workers outsourced. It was based on complaints that the companies or agencies outsourced were not paying the workers salary properly as the civic bodies now paid the amount to the outsourced agencies.

The Mayor said that the corporation would call for bids to collect chicken waste and tender coconut shells in the city and transport them to Panchchanady where a processing unit would be set up.